The World After

Chapter 6 – ‘To Our Advantage’

“Are you okay?” I snapped my gaze back from the children who were currently in the back seat of the truck to the man who was driving it. ‘Was I okay?’ seemed to be a constant question and honestly, it was irking the s**t out of me. I was how f*****g old, dealt with how much stuff, and yet, things kept tossing me for loops and I kept hearing that question. Granted, I could blame anyone, but it was annoying as all get out. Now, was it annoying they were asking, or annoying that the s**t kept happening, that I couldn’t say?

“I’m not sure,” I told him. “There’s a witch out there that can f*****g travel through space to spy on us which means she has the skill acquirement to do way more damage than fully noted before. My kids are shifting and changing before it’s even possible. Not to mention that those two have some super hearing or sense that neither you nor I could grasp. So, am I okay, I’m not sure!” It wasn’t that I meant to take my anger out on him, and he knew it, but he could guess it. “How do I say I’m okay when I just saw that? Wolves don’t shift at such a tender age, Grayson.”

“No, they don’t babe. But we have to remember, these two aren’t normal. We were blessed to raise them, but they are far from us, just like humans are. What they can do, pick up on, smell, see, or anything else, is far beyond what we know, and we have to remember that. There is something to be said about who they are though. Don’t forget the Gods gave them to us for a reason.” I sighed, hating his logic, and glanced out the window. He wasn’t wrong though, and that was even more of a pill to swallow. Not that he was right, that wasn’t my issue. But just that it was the truth, and it was hard to remember that.

I wanted to spend time letting these two just be kids, but I had to remember, they weren’t just kids, not in the aspect of how kids are viewed, because there weren’t vampire kids, it’s not even heard of. In fact, there was no “normal” for them. They had grown up fast, so why not everything else just be different? I also had to agree that if this war was going to take all of us, that included those two, though I would protect them at all costs.

“Hmmm,” I muttered, causing Grayson to glance at me.

“What?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“When we get back, I’m going over to Tessa’s place, you need to take Rosemina for a run. But I want to talk to her about Erica. That power was amazing, but I’m sure it’s draining, as there are costs for everything pertaining to the dark arts,” I stated but it was a truth we all know, just not to what degree.

“Of course, wolves get stronger but slower; vampires get more alluring, but have blood frenzies; witches have amazing powers, but are left weakened.” Grayson paused and then looked at me again, his thoughts turning. “What are you thinking?”

“There is something to be said in knowing that Grayson. I’m not sure how the other two are, but Erica is quite powerful, more than I thought, as I’m sure Tessa will confirm. But who is to say we can’t use that to our advantage, strike while she’s down?” He thought that over and slowly nodded.

“Not a bad war tactic there, mate,” he told me, taking my hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. No, if I could talk to Tessa, or even with Jonah, there could be a way. Maybe even bring it up and see how we could push her?

-----

“She’s dangerous, a lot more than I think any of us know, and that goes for you as well, Fire,” Tessa said, pulling the chair out from the table that was currently in the little home she shared with Jonah. We had offered to put everyone up at the hotel, but really the ones who accepted were Anna and Betty, although she did check in with her pack quite often. Dylan went home, as the pack’s land was bordering the hotel. And as for Elric and Derrick, their covens weren’t too far, and they found it best to go home. For Tessa and Jonah, though, they needed a place where they could practice and test theories, someplace not near other lands and not in the hotel, so they both agreed, for the time being, to get a little place for themselves.

“Yeah, I can see that now,” I mumbled, taking the opposite chair. “She wasn’t like that when I knew her, Tessa. Otherwise, she would have brought me to my knees. Her abilities today were a total blindside, and I could have been killed before I knew it.”

“How did you they even see it? Or pick up on it for that matter? Things like that aren’t common, especially not to other species.” I shrugged because it still wasn’t something any of us saw, at least Grayson or I, not that I was certain the twins saw it either.

“Rosemina didn’t, Tessa, none of us did. But she sensed it, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a newbie wolf change so fast. She had no concern about her body, just changed. And all I can ever say to describe it was like a spark in the air or something along those lines. How did you come to know?” I asked her, just as curious.

“I wouldn’t have known actually if I wasn’t trying to figure something out here. Other witches can’t pick up on other witches, we don’t spy. But I was practicing, and I felt the shift in the air, the sizzle, I guess. I know that’s from the dark arts, and in this area, no one is using it but her, because I would have felt it long before now. But the price for her to do something like that, to go that far, to use that kind of power, that price it’s unimaginable.” I tilted my head to the side and smiled, causing Tessa to c**k an eyebrow up. “What?”

“Grayson and I talked on the way back here. Is that something we can use?” Tessa shook her head before shrugging.

“I don’t know. Using something like that to our advantage would be great, of course. Knocking the most powerful player down a peg or two would be amazing, sure. But it’s not like I can snap my fingers and she’s using.”

“No,” I agreed. “But we can force her to use something that big.” Tessa thought that over and slowly smirked.

“I will talk to Jonah when he comes back, he had an issue with his family and had to go back there for a few days to work things out. We’ll see what we can find out or figure out.”

“Thank you, Tessa,” I told her as I stood up. “Now, I need to get back home, Rosemina and Midnight are going for a run.”

-----

“It will be okay, babygirl,” Grayson told Rosemina as he knelt down before her. “You already shifted once, and you didn’t even flinch. And believe me, princess, things will only be easier over time.” She whimpered as she nodded, having an unyielding faith in her father and his words.

“You did it on the spur, I know Rosemina, but I believe Daddy when he says it will be okay,” I told her as I walked out with Rayne’s hand in mine. I dropped the bag at my feet and smiled. “Clothes in case you do something,” I told him, earning a kiss and a smirk from him. He stripped and then shifted, Midnight’s nose nudging Rosemina’s arm. She smiled as she rubbed his fur, causing him to gently nip at her hand, and make her laugh. She waited a moment before taking her clothes off too, whimpering loudly as the bones shifted and she stood on all fours proudly before him. His nose touched hers and they both licked each other, the love felt enough from where I stood.

“Mommy?” I turned my eyes from the scene and looked down at Rayne.

“What honey?”

“Is daddy wolf not going to like me because I haven’t shifted yet? Will he love me less?” My heart broke for him as I’m sure seeing their interaction might have hurt. But before I could say anything, Midnight was behind him, nudging his back with his nose and Rayne giggled. He turned around and threw his arms around the wolf who kept licking his son’s neck. No, there was no doubt that Midnight loved his pups, even if they were different. Rayne released him and Midnight’s eyes shifted to me. I scratched his ears, earning myself a little growl, and grinned, knowing full well what that meant.

“You take care of your pup, mate,” I whispered, getting a lick in return. From the tree line, both Anna and Dylan walked over, Anna’s eyes huge as they took in the beauty that was the white wolf.

“Oh, what a sight,” Anna said in utter shock. With a howl from Midnight, the other two shifted, and off they ran, a sight to see between the blackness of Midnight and the whiteness of Rosemina.

“What a gorgeous wolf she is.” I turned around at the voice, my eyes landing on Lunella, a smile on her face as she watched the retreating wolves.